Spicy salsa

Do you know what the greatest thing about salsa is? It can be used in replacement of tomatoes in your salad, it can be a sauce added to pasta or noodles or it can be enjoyed as a relish added to your burgers or taco cups. I really love how versatile this salsa is. My husband even enjoyed this on his eggwhite omelette the other morning – it was a great start to his day.

Spicy hot, zingy, fresh and mouth watering is how I would describe this salsa. An over-abundance of Roma tomatoes, found on special at Queen Vic Market with the freshest, most fragrant coriander and one small hot, hot, hot Habanero chilli make this salsa just moreish.

Unlike my other salsa I’ve made, this involves no cooking! Bonus! Within 30 minutes your salsa is ready to enjoy. Why, I hear you ask, does chopping up tomatoes, onion, chilli & coriander take 30 minutes? Dehydrating the Habanero chilli takes about 20 minutes. Allowing the flavours to infuse together in this salsa is really important. The longer this salsa sits in the fridge, the more intense it becomes.

This salsa stores well for three to four months in the fridge – the coriander will slowly start to lose its vibrant green but it still tastes amazing!

Trust me, if you’ve never tried salsa before and you don’t mind a bit of a ‘kick’ in your salsa, this is a must try! It’s too late for us, we’re hooked on this salsa – we would have it on our cornflakes if we could 😉

TIP 1: The chilli makes this salsa. If you don’t like chillies, maybe try a couple of drops of Tabasco sauce to give it a small kick.

TIP 2: Fresh Habanero chillies aren’t always in season which is why I used dried chillies; it’s something I always have in my pantry. They’ll need to be rehydrated in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes before using.

TIP 3: If you don’t like the intensity of Habanero chillies, maybe try using capsicum or a jalapeno or serrano chilli for a milder experience.

TIP 4: Feel free to use any fresh chilli you like, if Habanero chillies aren’t in season. Just use sparingly – you can always add more chilli, you can’t remove it once it’s added!

TIP 5: Want roast garlic but don’t have any? Next time you have the oven on, wrap one whole head of garlic in foil and place it in. Follow Oh She Glows step-by-step recipe. Once cooled, I place the cloves in a jar with olive oil and some fresh thyme and you have roast garlic whenever you need it. Keep in your pantry for whenever you need some.

Boil the kettle. In a small bowl, place the Habanero chilli and cover with boiling water. Keep the chilli submerged by placing a bowl or plate on top. Allow to steep for 15-20 minutes.

While the Habanero chilli is rehydrating prepare the rest of your ingredients and set aside until needed.

Place the tomatoes and coriander in a bowl with salt and mix well.

Once the Habanero chilli has been soaking for 20 minutes, remove from the water, squeezing any excess water out and finely chop. Add into the tomato and coriander mix along with the garlic and lime juice.

Allow to stand for five minutes then enjoy.

I love joining food parties. Heidi at The McCallums Shamrock Patch with Pure Blog Love #15 and Ronda & Dina @Kitchen Dreaming with The Weekend Social Vol 2 Week 1. Thank you lovely ladies for a wonderful party – love the inspiration I find there. Why don’t you come join us? Great way to meet new friends.

How sweet are the tomatoes at the moment! The freshness of all the ingredients make this a great dip to have with corn chips, while sipping on a crisp Sav, watching the sun set – couldn’t get any better 😉